Chapter 566 Warping (1/2)
Milhabus, half-kneeling beside the others quietly listened without the feeling of being ignored. Mother of Midgard was conversing with Void Beings who could suppress an entire fleet by themselves after all—himself being merely the most powerful psionic in a planet and a descendant so many generations after the Mother, naturally could not participate since it paled in both identity and ability. Even so, there was a thought that came scrambling after he heard Joshua's plans.
—Gotcha!
—The Void Being has exposed its true nature as expected! And here I was thinking why would the Halo of Terror that eroded the Psionic Beam would just appear for that instant, and I truly thought that he was truly benevolent… never thought that he would expose himself here, this fellow who takes pleasure in destruction and wants us to go down together with the Void Mother!
Milhabus, believing that he had grasped the truth, said nothing. He did not even change its expression to prevent others from catching his thoughts—the Grand Consul planned to keep the secret inside and tell it to just a few close confidants.
On the other hand, both Mother Tree and Nostradamus treated Joshua's suggestions with silence. With their knowledge and ability to see how they compared against the enemy, it was not as if they could not understand why Joshua would make such judgements—even so, both believed that there has to be a better solution.
”It's too simple… At present, we don't even know what kind of a lifeform the Void Mother is, so how could you make such a simple decision?”
Nostradamus appeared troubled as he placed one hand on his hip while using the other to rub his forehead. ”This world is special. What lies beyond the skies isn't a planetary shield that separates the Void and this world, but sheets of thin atmosphere and vacuum, with the spherical world using gravity to tether life that survives on its own surface… The world is just too big, and my many experiences would not help.
”The only thing we could be pleased about is that the energy model of this world does not clash with the Mycroft continents, allowing us to quickly adapt.”
Even as the old mage spoke, sheets of overlapping light-blue runes surfaced around Nostradamus' body. He appeared to be adjusting certain spells he had mastered in response to the unfamiliar world.
Joshua understood his distress—a Legendary mage who came from a small-scale hemispheric plane with concentrated energies would definitely experience an assault on his common knowledge after arriving on a large-scale planetary system with lower energy levels. Even if Nostradamus would not bust his own head over such frivolity, but his few dozen years of combat experience was unquestionably meaningless.
However, would being overly concerned about the integrity some trivial spells be meaningful in the face of warships that were several kilometers long and superior beings over hundreds of kilometers in length? Warping to evade an enemy's attacks should have been suffice by moving a few meters, but now, if they did not warp over a few kilometers they might not even have escaped the area of effect from the enemy's attack. While the large-scale buffing halo that could covered several kilometers is naturally divinely effective, it was negligible on the scale of the universe. Nostradamus hence believed he would not be able to employ fifty percent of his usual powers due to the drastic changes in scale, which was the source of his distress.
”…It's not as if your opinion can't be considered.”
The Mother Tree's will which had been silent for silent time suddenly spoke, amidst Milhabus's shocked gaze. Apart from the surprised Grand Consul, even Ling and Ying were looking fearfully towards the direction of the Vortex, where the Mother Tree's body was. However, the ancient integration of will did not pause due to the other's gazes, and merely continued. ”We have conferred in our body, and the conclusion was that 'Continuation of the Midgardian civilization' takes priority. It is unacceptable to have it die by the Void Behemoth's hand, turning our long history into anonymous dust that floats around space while losing ninety percent of our population. There is nothing fearful about self-detonating the home planet, much less triggering an explosion of a colony's sun.
”You're right. We don't have much grounds for choice.”
The Mother Tree spoke slowly, yet its voice was extremely determined. Even as it spoke, Joshua felt that there were a million eyes staring at himself, but he fearlessly leveled his own gaze back at the multitude ancient Midgardian souls that somehow spoke with one voice. ”If you do not fear death, then my death is nothing. However, Void beings, I have one request which I hope you could agree.”
”Do tell,” Joshua responded. ”I answered your summons and hence would fight for you—incidentally, I have something that requires your aid as well, but please, after you.”
”Then, please head to the Hall of the Mother Tree. Only there could I use my full power, and you may truly help me then.”
Joshua and Nostradamus glanced at each other—both men had considerable abilities and hence did not fear much danger or anything unexpected, thus agreeing to enter the Hall. In fact, to two Legendary champions, traveling amidst the stars was no labor, they could even wander the universe or even the Multiverse as they wished if there was nothing extreme or out of the ordinary. That was why, despite the Midgardians' severe difficulty to enter the Vortex, it was nothing but flatlands to them.
Within a single breath, Joshua brought Ling and Ying to the ocean's surface, while the old mage carried Milhabus and followed closely behind. In the next, the party arrived at the center of the Vortex, where an enormous wooden tree root that was over fifty meters in diameter reached out, and formed a deep cavity allowing several persons to enter in seconds.
”That's… That's the direct passage to the Hall of the Mother Tree!”
Not quite able to react in time, Milhabus needed one-tenth of a second to wonder how he arrived at the center of the vortex in two breaths. Still, he was ultimately an extraordinary psionic with quick reflexes, and so subconsciously began the introductions.
”You could just enter withi… Aaaaaaaah!”
After that abrupt scream, Milhabus had arrived in a giant wooden room that was naturally constructed as it opened its eyes again. There was mysterious flora that resembled a flower in the middle, and a singer silver anti-gravity sphere floated above it, where silver-blue psionic essence was flowing out incessantly from the flower petals before condensing into it.
This place was undoubtedly the rumored Hall of the Mother Tree, and with the two Legendary champion's speed, they reached it even before Milhabus finished speaking.
Unlike how Joshua imagined it, the Hall had nothing of note or special apart from the psionic sphere of light.
Then, as if sensing Joshua's inquisitiveness, the Mother Tree's voice echoed. ”The Hall of the Mother Tree is the inside of my body—it is therefore natural that there isn't any decoration since it's set up ad hoc.
”Now, Joshua, touch that sphere of light.”
Joshua lifted his brow lightly at the Mother Tree's rather urgent words. He could tell that the Mother Tree was in an unusual mood but did not take too much mind—therefore, in the next instant, he arrived before that flower and reached out to touch the flower.
The flower itself resembled a sunflower. Apart from its external petals, there were tight formations of psionic crystal specks at its center, which materialized and flowed into the silver sphere. Joshua sensed nothing out of the ordinary at first, but when he approached, there was a smell of Steel Strength wafting from the sphere!
”Seems like psionic isn't purely related to soul and will in this world—it has a certain relation to matter too.”
It was not an extraordinary guess. If psionic was truly pure spiritual power, it would not be so easy to influence matter as it did now—it definitely has partial physical attribute. But now, the psionic energy that only held matter was actually so concentrated it became the purest of Steel Strength, leaving Joshua in astonishment.
Still, keeping his emotions aside, Joshua kept reaching out to touch the sphere of Steel Strength.
Hence, light and shadow transformed.